Product Description

How Dynamic Weather Changes Battlefield 1

All maps in Battlefield 1 have dynamic weather that can occur as part of a larger immersion ecosystem. Find out more.

ByRickard Antroia

Technology like infrared scopes and GPS means weather doesn’t mean a ton in modern warfare. That wasn't the case in World War I, where weather and location conditions could change the outcome of any battle. To capture that feeling, and to make sure that no battle is ever the same in Battlefield 1, we included a dynamic weather system, which adds variety to each match.

All multiplayer maps in Battlefield 1 have dynamic weather that can occur as part of a larger immersion ecosystem. Unlike the game's destructible environments, weather is an outside factor that you can’t control. Things can shift in small ways (like the sun peeking out of the clouds and turning an overcast map into a sunny one) but there are larger changes that can happen that will nudge you to adjust how you play.

Dense fog, for instance, limits your vision. This makes it harder for snipers to be effective from afar and changes the spotting distance. With heavy fog, an open map can turn into a melee, close-quarter experience for a limited time. People will need to pull out their bayonets, equip themselves with shotguns, and get ready for more intimate affairs until the fog dissipates.

Rain doesn’t change how far you can see, but it can distract and distort your sight. You always look for movement when you're scanning the horizon for threats, but rain pouring down makes this much more difficult. This change in vision changes how you'll approach flying, too. Since visibility is affected, the rain pushes you to become more cautious when flying close to mountains or the ground.

Extreme weather, like the sandstorm that can kick up in maps like Sinai Desert, do more than just limit your vision. Its density makes it difficult to fly, more or less grounding any planes in the sky. That's not to say that you won't be able to learn to compensate, however – really skilled players who know the map could try taking to the skies and use their low visibility as a tactic.

Weather impacts just about everything in the game. Raindrops are visible on the weapons, birds go away when the wind picks up, the audio changes during a sandstorm. Like so much else in Battlefield 1, we wanted to make sure weather makes the player immersed with the world, both visually and thematically. The western front has more heavy rain, and we make sure the fog in the trench wars has more density, and feels close to the ground. Up in the Alps in the Italian campaign, there’s a sense of low fog in the valley, and if you move up to the mountain tops you get rid of the fog. You can even see the fog below you.

Dynamic weather gives flavor to specific matches, creating unforgettable moments that feel more unique - more personal. Even after multiple matches, you will encounter a combination of weather, location and gameplay you've never experienced before, with a new dimension to your Battlefield moments.